Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31636163›Full record

ArticleCMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne2019

Episiotomy use among vaginal deliveries and the association with anal sphincter injury: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Giulia M Muraca, Shiliang Liu, Yasser Sabr, Sarka Lisonkova, Amanda Skoll, Rollin Brant, Geoffrey W Cundiff, Olof Stephansson, Neda Razaz, K S Joseph

Open access · goldAbstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
22citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
5.9field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

22 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Efficacy of energy-based devices on episiotomy pain and healing: A systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026
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  15. Maternal and neonatal trauma following operative vaginal delivery.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2022
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  20. The authors respond to "Routine use of episiotomy with forceps should not be encouraged".CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2020
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Giulia M MuracaClinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine (Muraca, Stephansson, Razaz), Solna, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (Muraca, Sabr, Lisonkova, Skoll, Cundiff, Joseph), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Maternal, Child and Youth Health Division (Liu), Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Sabr), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; School of Population and Public Health (Lisonkova, Joseph); Department of Statistics (Brant), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Stephansson), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden giulia.muraca@ki.se.
Shiliang LiuClinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine (Muraca, Stephansson, Razaz), Solna, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (Muraca, Sabr, Lisonkova, Skoll, Cundiff, Joseph), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Maternal, Child and Youth Health Division (Liu), Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Sabr), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; School of Population and Public Health (Lisonkova, Joseph); Department of Statistics (Brant), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Stephansson), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Yasser SabrClinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine (Muraca, Stephansson, Razaz), Solna, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (Muraca, Sabr, Lisonkova, Skoll, Cundiff, Joseph), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Maternal, Child and Youth Health Division (Liu), Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Sabr), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; School of Population and Public Health (Lisonkova, Joseph); Department of Statistics (Brant), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Stephansson), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Sarka LisonkovaClinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine (Muraca, Stephansson, Razaz), Solna, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (Muraca, Sabr, Lisonkova, Skoll, Cundiff, Joseph), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Maternal, Child and Youth Health Division (Liu), Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Sabr), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; School of Population and Public Health (Lisonkova, Joseph); Department of Statistics (Brant), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Stephansson), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Amanda SkollClinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine (Muraca, Stephansson, Razaz), Solna, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (Muraca, Sabr, Lisonkova, Skoll, Cundiff, Joseph), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Maternal, Child and Youth Health Division (Liu), Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Sabr), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; School of Population and Public Health (Lisonkova, Joseph); Department of Statistics (Brant), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Stephansson), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Rollin BrantClinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine (Muraca, Stephansson, Razaz), Solna, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (Muraca, Sabr, Lisonkova, Skoll, Cundiff, Joseph), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Maternal, Child and Youth Health Division (Liu), Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Sabr), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; School of Population and Public Health (Lisonkova, Joseph); Department of Statistics (Brant), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Stephansson), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Geoffrey W CundiffClinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine (Muraca, Stephansson, Razaz), Solna, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (Muraca, Sabr, Lisonkova, Skoll, Cundiff, Joseph), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Maternal, Child and Youth Health Division (Liu), Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Sabr), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; School of Population and Public Health (Lisonkova, Joseph); Department of Statistics (Brant), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Stephansson), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Olof StephanssonClinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine (Muraca, Stephansson, Razaz), Solna, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (Muraca, Sabr, Lisonkova, Skoll, Cundiff, Joseph), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Maternal, Child and Youth Health Division (Liu), Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Sabr), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; School of Population and Public Health (Lisonkova, Joseph); Department of Statistics (Brant), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Stephansson), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Neda RazazClinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine (Muraca, Stephansson, Razaz), Solna, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (Muraca, Sabr, Lisonkova, Skoll, Cundiff, Joseph), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Maternal, Child and Youth Health Division (Liu), Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Sabr), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; School of Population and Public Health (Lisonkova, Joseph); Department of Statistics (Brant), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Stephansson), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
K S JosephClinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine (Muraca, Stephansson, Razaz), Solna, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (Muraca, Sabr, Lisonkova, Skoll, Cundiff, Joseph), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Maternal, Child and Youth Health Division (Liu), Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Sabr), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; School of Population and Public Health (Lisonkova, Joseph); Department of Statistics (Brant), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Stephansson), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
King Saud University · SAKarolinska Institutet · SEKarolinska University Hospital · SEUniversity of British Columbia · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe rate of obstetric anal sphincter injury has increased in recent years, particularly among operative vaginal deliveries. We sought to characterize temporal trends in episiotomy use and to quantify the association between episiotomy and obstetric anal sphincter injury.

methodsUsing a population-based retrospective cohort study design of hospital data from 2004 to 2017, we studied all vaginal deliveries of singleton infants at term gestation in Canada (excluding Quebec). Rates of obstetric anal sphincter injury were contrasted between women who had an episiotomy and those who did not. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate the association between episiotomy and obstetric anal sphincter injury among women with spontaneous and operative vaginal deliveries after controlling for confounders.

resultsThe study population included 2 570 847 deliveries. Episiotomy use declined significantly among operative vaginal deliveries (53.1% in 2004 to 43.2% in 2017,

interpretationEpisiotomy use has declined in Canada for all vaginal deliveries. The protective association between episiotomy and obstetric anal sphincter injury among women who gave birth by operative vaginal delivery (especially forceps) warrants reconsideration of clinical practice among nulliparous women and those attempting vaginal birth after cesarean.

Indexed as

AdultAnal CanalDelivery, ObstetricEpisiotomyFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansIncidenceInfant, NewbornObstetric Labor ComplicationsPopulation SurveillancePregnancyQuebecRetrospective StudiesRisk Factors

Identifiers

PMID31636163
PMCPMC6805174
OpenAlexW2981046397

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.